Relationship Chicken
by katxopixie
Summary: Abby and McGee have an important conversation... really should be rated K, but I always do T just in case. And the title will make more sense when you read it, I promise.


**So, I was going to have this chapter evolve into a story, but I decided I like it better as a one-shot... but this won't be the last time you see me writing for NCIS! I promise!**

**Oh, and when you'r reading this, keep in mind that I ignore the fact that Abby and McGee were ever together back in the beginning, because I just plain don't like that detail.**

**-Kat**

"What's the real reason you want to leave your boyfriend?"

Well, how the hell do I answer that?

The car scene. The infamous car scene- standing around his car, parked in my driveway, before he leaves. It's like eleven o'clock at night and no one else is around. We've just spent an awesome seven hours together, doing everything from watching movies to roasting marshmallows to roaming around together in the woods at the back of my property. And I'm coming clean that I truly am not in love with my boyfriend anymore… not that it would take a genius to work that one out.

I make something up. "I just don't feel the same way I did about him. I guess I just went out with him because he liked me."

One of his eyebrows goes up in its usual fashion and he smiles that crooked 'I told you so' smile. "That's never a good reason to date someone." He leans up against his car, folds his arms, and crosses one ankle over the other. I look down and notice I'm absentmindedly standing in the exact same way. I uncross my ankles.

"I know," I say, "I should listen to you more often."

He looks me dead in the eyes, throwing me off a little. "So you want to break up with him?"

I choke out a yes- his gaze always wipes my mind. Damn those eyes.

"Say you're not going to have enough time to date him once school starts up again, since he'll have moved two hours away and you'll be working. Do it over the course of three dates, gradually planting more and more doubt by subtly mentioning it. Then, let him down easy on the third one." He faces forwards again.

"That's brilliant."

"See?" he asks, like I should have asked him ages ago for help, "the guy who's only dated three girls in his life is pretty good at this romantic stuff after all."

"I never doubted you."

We stare out at the trees, barely illuminated by someone's porch light and the glow from the moon. Somehow we've creeped closer together, leaning up against that car. Everything in me tries to make me lay my head on his shoulder, but I know I can't.

"You know what? Screw our friends, they were right. They're right that we'd make a good match."

He's thrown me bones like this before. It's a stupid game of relationship chicken. But nonetheless, I still want to close the distance in between us. The tension can be sliced with a knife, and I know he can feel it too.

"Unfortunately, circumstances do not allow," he says.

"Right."

"But," he added, "never admit it to them. Got it?" And he smiles again.

"Of course."

He takes his keys from his pocket, bringing the car scene to an end.

"Hey. Thanks for helping me get out of this without me being a bitch." I hug him- not our first hug, but one of those hugs neither person really wants to end. We eventually let go, my arm slowly leaving his shoulders, lingering a little too long.

"See you later."

"Bye," I say, walking into my house, taking one last look back at him.

I shut the lobby door and lean up against it, putting my head in my hands. We're just so infuriatingly close. I'm so close to what I've wanted for so long. But he's just out of my reach.

I think back to the question I couldn't answer the way I wanted to.

_What's the real reason you want to leave your boyfriend?_

Because every moment I'm with him, I'm thinking of you. Because when we're together, everything just goes away, but when I'm with him, I'm looking at my watch and waiting for the night to end. Because our friends are right, because I've spent nearly two years denying it, and because you've taken over my mind and you just won't let go.

_Because I'm in love with my best friend._

**Read, review, yell at me for not continuing.**

**TTFN**


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